My name is Dia ("Dee-ya") Her-Xiong. I am Hmong American. My pronouns are She/Her/Hers. I have been married to my spouse, Mike Xiong, for 7 years! Together we have two children who will also be present in our home with our daycare friends! :) We are members of a CMA congregation, RiverLife Church in St. Paul, MN.
I love singing, dancing, playing with the children, & watching the children grow in their own strengths!
I enjoy lifting weights and want to get back into Powerlifting so I can work towards getting back on the platform to compete again. :)
On my free time I like to journal, facetime call my nieces and nephews, check in on my siblings and parents to see how they're doing.
My heart for serving is never-ending. I believe it is a gift that God has given me to care for others and provide them a safe space and place to express themselves as well as to have someone that will be able to listen without judgement and whom can pray over them.
I like spreading positive affirmations and posts to uplift friends and families on my social media platforms.
How do you know caring for children is what you love doing?
My love and passion for caring for children started when I was very young. I always found myself enjoying time babysitting my siblings and cousins. We would have plenty of imaginary play outside and inside our home. Some of the plays were: playing house, gardening, shopping, school, music and dance class!
What experiences do you have?
Coming from a big family with 16 siblings, I have had my share of experience. Each one of my siblings are different in their own ways. We all communicate in different ways. We all show love in different ways. We all learn differently. I've used my life experiences in all aspects of my work life. I've always found myself being the caretaker of those in need. I naturally show-up for those in need to comfort and encourage them.
In my teenage years, I volunteered at church to work in the nursery and children ministry for 2 years before we moved out of the city. I've participated in assisting in vacation bible school to help lead activities and classes for children ages 3 to 8.
It was always such a beautiful experience to guide and teach children but also learn from the children. We often forget that children can also teach us to see things in a different perspective which will help us do better and be better individuals.
Why did you start Guiding Light Child Care?
Most recently with the pandemic, in 2020, I was given the opportunity to care for my niece and nephew which reignited the fire and passion I've always had since I was young. It reminded me of how much I loved caring for children, helping them discover who they are, guiding and seeing growth in their behavioral development, and seeing that being present with them impacted their lives in a great way.
God has been tugging at my heart to spread this love and care that I have to those beyond my family. With the support of so many loved ones and my amazing cousins, I made a decision to open up my home to care for others that may have been seeking for a program like mine at Guiding Light Child Care.
I hope we will get a chance to meet and get to know each other a bit more! If you have questions or would like to inquire more about my program, see my Contact Me page for more information.
Thank you for being here and reading a little bit about me. :)
Dia